Improvement in piano-forte frames



trl tant aaii GEORGE W. NEILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OHICKERING AND SONS, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 88,7 29, dated April 6, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIANO-FORTE FRAMES.

The

To all persons to whom these presents may come:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. NEILL, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Piano- Fortes; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings,vof which- Figure 1 is a front elevation;

Figure 2, an end view;

Figure 3, an oblique and transverse section; and

Figure 4, a horizontal section of the wooden frame, and the metallic string-frame of a piana-forte, as pro vided with my invention.

The puxposeof the invention is to strengthen the string-frame, so a`s to prevent it from being bent or twisted out of its normal condition by the strain of the strings.

The metallic string-frame, to which my invention is applied, is somewhat analogous to that represented in Letters Patent N o. 79,591, granted July 7, 1868, to me.

The metallic string-frame, like that shown in such patent, is composed of a metallic frame, A, and a flanged plate, D, they being applied to a Wooden back frame B.

The said frame A is to be arranged between the back frame and the sounding-board, the latter not being represented in the drawings.

The metallic ame, although having a series of oblique braces, o1' bars c c, has no bars to extend between the strings.

In carrying out my present invention, I apply and iix to the rear side or part of the wooden back frame B, a series of auxiliary oblique chords, or brace-bars, E E, Ste., there being one of them disposed directly in rear of and parallel with each of the brace-bars c c, of the string-frame.

Each of the bars E is to be bolted, or otherwise fastened to the back frame B, and besides is to be formed, near its opposite ends, with shoulders, or abutments a a, for projections b b, extended from the fel.. low brace-bar c, to rest against.

There abut, against the two projections b b, the ends of an arched bar, F, which, at its crown, rests against the bar c, and on a post, or cylinder G, which is interposed between the chord-bar E and the arched bar F.

A screw-bolt, d, goes through bars c F E, and the piece G, there being a nut, g, screwed on such bolt, so as to eifectually hold the said bars c, E, and F, and the piece G together.

The ends of the arched bar abut against the projections b b, of the main brace-bar.

Screw-bolts h h also go throughthe bars c and E, and the projections b b, and receive nuts, as shown at itl When each of the oblique braces c, of the stringframe, is thus supported, or provided with a truss, composed of the projections b b, the arched bar, auxiliaiy brace-bar, its abutments, and the connectionbolts, and the middle post or centre-piece, as described, not only will the string-frame be greatly trengthened, but the strengthening parts will be enabled-to perform their functions without any injurious strain on the back frame.

What, therefore, I claim as my invention, is-

The combination and arrangement 'of the projections b b, the arch-bar F, the auxiliary brace-har, and 'its abutments on the Same, and theA central post G, with each of the oblique brace-bars c, of the metallic stringframe, the whole being united by screw-bolts and nuts, as set forth.

Also, fastening each of the auxiliary brace-bars to the back frame, when such bar is provided with'abutments, and combined with the two projections Ii b, an arch-bar, F, and the string-frame brace-bar c, connected together, and arranged as specified.

' GEO. W. NEILL. Witnesses:

R. H. "EDDY, SAMUEL N. Pirna. 

